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Basketball Manitoba Optimum Outdoor Basketball Facility SpecificationsNote: The following images are for illustration purposes only and do not indicate an endorsement for a certain product or service
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Information is provided by Basketball Manitoba for an ideal basketball facility build and has been approved by the Basketball Manitoba Board of Directors & Technical Committee. Dec 2025. For complete FIBA recommendations, visit http://www.fiba.basketball/documentsFull court basketball diagram with 2010 markings. View full line markings at http://courtspecs.basketballmanitoba.ca
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SIZE AND ORIENTATION OF PLAYING SURFACEOptimum full court is 94 feet long x 50 feet wide (28m long x 15m wide) measured from the inner edge of the boundary lines with a perimeter band of 2m or 6 feet. If space or budget do not allow a full court, the length of 94 feet can be shortened to fit but ideally is at least 84 feet (25.6m) long and 40 feet (12m) wide. Ideally, a "North/South" court orientation would be best for minimizing the sunrise/sunset in the East and West for the player's sightlines.
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SPACE AROUND COURTMinimum 6.5 feet (2m) from the edge of the outer boundary lines to any wall, fence or obstruction with ideally 15 feet (4.5m) along one of the sidelines for spectators. These numbers represent minimums. If additional space is available, especially on the end lines, it should be utilized.
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FLOOR TYPEA minimum of geotextile installation under a minimum of 16" compacted graded granular material with a 2.5" minimum asphalt surface. It is recommended to have a 3" asphalt surface with an 18" sub base for the surface. An additional bonus would see a synthetic playing surface using 8mm Mondo Sport Flex product. https://www.mondoworldwide.com/na/en/sport/tennis/sportflex-m or Robbins Pulastic Comfort Court 50 https://www.robbinsfloor.com/synthetic-sports-flooring/pulastic/comfort-court-50. Refer to the FIBA Guide to Basketball Facilities book for more information on the composition of the playing surface.,
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FLOOR MARKINGSThe basketball floor markings must be of the same color (ideally white on black asphalt or contrasting to the surface colour) for all basketball lines and be 2 inches (5 cm) wide with the outer boundaries being 4 inches (10 cm) inches wide lines. Current FIBA floor markings include a 4.9m wide rectangle restricted area (or 'key'), the 'no-charge semi-circle' and use the 6.25m distance 3-point line. All old lines (trapezoid key) are to be phased out of use. Current specifications can be found at the top right of this page and at http://courtspecs.basketballmanitoba.ca
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FENCINGA fence is not required, however, a 10 foot chain link fence with 2 access gates on either side of the court is ideal. Fencing must be large and strong enough to resist any lateral pressure from a load.
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LIGHTINGA 25 foot pole recessed on each sideline at centre court with 2 large flood lights each pointing to each basket, totaling 4 floodlights in all. Most are set on timers at the facility in the 6:00 - 10:00 pm range nightly in the spring/summer/fall months. Average lighting of 100 lux is required with an illuminance uniformity of 0.5 (min/average). An added feature would be to include GFCI outdoor rated power outlets at the base of the light poles to be used for special events at the court (score clock, public address / music system).
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BASKETBALL UNITSTwo 10-foot backboard units for each court. Additional hoops can be installed in a 'cross court' setting if space and budget allow. It is strongly recommended to set the hoops at the 10-foot regulation height to reduce any damage to equipment set at a lower level.
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BACKBOARD TYPEOPTIMAL: 3.5 feet tall (42 inches) x 6 feet wide (1.05m x 1.8m) tempered non reflective 1/2" thick glass, rectangle in shape with adequate padding (20mm thick) along the sides and bottom. ALTERNATIVE: Rectangle or fan shaped metal material backboard using the same size specs already noted. Recommended manufacturers include Gared, Spalding, Bison, Schelde and BPI. It is strongly recommended to NOT use a plastic type backboard as they will not be durable for public, outdoor, long term use.
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HOOP ADJUSTABILITYThe backboard unit should be 10 feet in height from the floor surface. It is not recommended to have backboard units that have adjustable heights due to people hanging on the rim and causing added stress and damage to the equipment.
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BASKETBALL RIMMade of solid steel (16mm thick), orange in color, with a diameter of 450mm and be 'break away' (pressure release) with encased torsion springs. Professional installation to ensure the tension on the rims is set to a proper standard should be followed to reduce the possibility of a backboard shattering or being damaged if the rim is hung on by a player. A solid, fixed style rim (not collapsible) is recommended for a metal style backboard. The style of net hooks that are recommended are shown to the right of this text. Side view of completed court at Whyte Ridge Community Centre
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BASKETBALL NET / MESHTo be hung from the rim and made of an all white "anti-whip" nylon cord material. A chain mesh is not recommended as those can rust easily and can cause injury if a part of the chain is damaged or loose. Aerial view of completed court at Oxford Heights CC
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BACKBOARD POLEBackboard poles are mounted 3-4 feet into the ground and are 4" x 4" black square poles. The distance of the pole from the end court line must be at least 1m. An alternate 'goose-neck' style round pole is also suitable and is commonly used with a metal style backboard and non-collapsible rim. See examples as shown to the right.
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POLE PADDINGThe padding should cover at least 2.15m from the ground going up the pole as shown in the 3rd hoop image to the right..
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BLEACHERS2 steel - aluminum 9 foot 3-row outdoor bleachers on each side of the court (4 total) facing opposite of the team benches.
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TEAM BENCHES4 x 6 foot team benches made from cement placed along the sidelines along the fence. See top right court diagram for placement indicators.
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CHANGE ROOMSNot required, however, access to a nearby facility should be available for changing or washroom purposes.GOOD: Fan-shaped metal backboard, fixed rim, anti-whip netting with fixed gooseneck pole BETTER: Rectangular metal backboard with fixed rim, anti-whip netting and a 5" diameter fixed poleBEST: Rectangle shaped glass backboard with breakaway rim, 6" fixed pole, anti-whip netting and pole padding
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WATER SUPPLYPlayers should bring their own drinks for hydration, however, if a water fountain or source is possible for your project, it would be a great addition.
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EQUIPMENT STORAGENone required for the public. Players should bring their own equipment. GOOD: Loop or no hooks style rim (requires zip ties to mount a mesh style net)
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LOCAL SUPPLIERSMarchants School Sport - http://www.marchants.com; Home Run Sports - https://homerunsports.com; Royal Stewart - http://www.royalstewart.com; Centaur Products - http://www.centaurproducts.com; Canotech Consultants - http://www.canotech.net; Cord's Park Mark (Surface Lines) - https://cordsparkmark.ca BETTER: "Double Rim" or "Playground" style rim with illustrated hooks shown above
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EXAMPLE COURTSIt is recommended to anyone building an outdoor basketball court to visit one of the following to get a better visual example of what an optimum court should look like...BEST: Standard style basketball rim hooks
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Watch our video on how to properly hang a mesh from rimOxford Heights Community CentreDakota Community CentreKirkfield Westwood Community CentreWhyte Ridge Community CentreCorydon Community CentreGarden City Community Centre
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See all current court markings at...http://courtspecs.basketballmanitoba.cahttp://www.canotech.net
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Basketball Manitoba has a single copy of FIBA's 'Guide to Basketball Facilities', a 300 page book which goes into full detail on all of the above information and more. This book is available to borrow upon request.
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Basketball Manitoba, 145 Pacific Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3B 2Z6, Phone (204) 925-5775 info@basketballmanitoba.ca http://www.basketballmanitoba.ca3-row 9 foot aluminum bleachers2 flood lights on each pole directed towards each basketCement team benches